Oleksandr Matyukhin, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry speaker for ATO issues, spoke of the fights in Avdiivka industrial zone during his briefing, reported by 112 TV channel.

The speaker informed that the enemy started a concentrated shelling of the Ukrainian positions from mortars and cannons at 5 a.m. In two hours after the artillery preparation the militants pushed forward to the attack. The Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation forces were attacked by two assault groups of 25-30 militants each, thought the enemy was forces to backtrack

The enemy tried to attack one again and concentrated on the shooting form heavy weapons. Ukrainian military men took a militant captive during the fight and handed him over to the Security Service of Ukraine.

Apart from the powerful shelling of Ukrainian military positions, the enemy opened fire on the residential areas of Avdiivka. A man and a woman were injured, the residential houses are damaged.

At the morning twilight the enemy tried to attack ATO forces between Kamenka and Kruta Balka. The fight lasted for an hour. Couple hours later the illegal armed groups initiated two mortar shellings with 30 mines each.

The occupant forces attacked position “Shakhta Dutovka” later at 1 p.m. It was a diverting attack in order to split the ATO forces and hamper command and control the Ukrainians in fights for Avdiivka industrial zone.

The fighting for Avdiivka lasted for 19 hours yesterday. Several hundreds of mines and shells were launched, according to the ATO HQ.

Thought the armed hostilities didn’t stop yesterday. It is known for certain that Russian troops continue shelling from mortars, tanks and cannons, they brought up rocket artillery to the frontline.

The situation escalated in Troitske, Zaitseve, Verkhnyotoretske and Opytne, where the occupants launched powerful mortar shelling in the afternoon. Russian tank set off towards Pisky form militants held Volvo-center fortification, and kept shelling during an hour.

5 Ukrainian military men died, 14 injured over the past 24 hours. Almost all casualties occurred during Avdiivka battle.

Another two Ukrainian soldiers died this morning. Five more injured.

According to the military intelligence, 15 occupants were liquidated, 24 wounded.